The sun came up this morning and along with it came the songs of birds, and a breeze that teased early Spring. My pups nuzzled close for a belly rub. The smooth taste of coffee brought my taste buds to life. It was going to be a beautiful day. Yeah, maybe this was getting off to a slow start, but I wonder how many of us slow down enough in our frenetic lives to see the everyday miracles that surround us like I just noticed.

This morning’s every day miracles recalled a time I was living on the San Bernard River when I was up with the dawn and stepped onto my deck to enjoy the morning, the river, and the view. It was calm and I was blessed with a watercolor sunrise so typical of living on the river. A lot of mornings, I took that view for granted and went about my day without communing with nature. But, this morning, the watercolor sky was too beautiful to ignore, and I stepped onto the patio to soak it all in.

My heart was peaceful, and I was quiet. As I looked toward the river, my eyes were drawn to something on the railing, a common nighthawk. It too, was still and motionless. These birds feed in flight in the early evenings and early mornings. So, this bird in front of me was an extraordinary sight this time of day. I stepped back into the house for my camera, thinking the nighthawk would be gone when I returned, but it remained.

I set the camera up and took the bird’s picture, then our eyes locked. I do not know exactly what happened, but that moment in time was ours and I was filled with peace and a sense of well-being. Just a moment, then the jangling of my dog’s tags roused the bird to flight. It soared off into the day with a second nighthawk I had not seen.

It was days later – after I posted my experience on Facebook – that a friend who saw my picture commented that she had thought of Psalms 46:10 when she saw the post. “Be still and know that I am God.” Eight little words that described the situation. They teach us when we are free from outside noise or turbulence, we can hear the small still voice of God as he comes to comfort and guide us though our everyday lives. When we let go of the frenetic elements of our lives and just “be,” our outlooks improve. Negative thoughts melt away, replaced with peace and we can feel God in everything around us.

It is when we slow down and allow ourselves the opportunity to feel and observe that we can focus our hearts and minds to concentrate on the most important things and we can hear the voice of God whispering in the wind all around us. He talks with us in small moments. Sometimes we hear him, but most times we are just too busy to listen. But when we approach our lives in a calm manner, we can see the bigger picture with a clear mind, feel things with a pure heart and hear the voice of God speaking to us in these small moments – these everyday miracles.

That day, God touched me through a not so common nighthawk. “Be still and know that I am God” is not just a verse from the Bible, it is a state of being. As we learn to be still and trust in God, we come to know that we are God’s children. We are never alone.

Today, I no longer live on the river, but I live in the piney woods. Where I live has changed, but the everyday miracles remain; the soft breeze whispering Spring, the cardinal bringing its family to feast at the seeds I leave out, the azalea in bud, the kindness of friends at a low moment. I just have to slow down, take a breath, and find my everyday miracles and in those miracles, there is a message of peace.

“Be still and know that I am God.”